My Movie Reviews

A look at movies by jtenman.

10/11/2008

Baby Mama

Posted by JTENMAN



Release Date: April 25, 2008
Time: 1 hr 39 min
Distributor: Universal Studios
Rating: PG-13
My Rating: PG-13
Starring: Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Greg Kinnear, Romany Malco
Grade: A-

Synopsis: Former Saturday Night Live "Weekend Update" co-anchors Tina Fey and Amy Poehler co-star in this baby-fever comedy about a single, career-oriented woman who previously put parenthood on hold, and is forced to hire a surrogate mother when she discovers there is only a one-in-a-million chance that she will be able to get pregnant. Kate Holbrook (Fey) is a 37-year-old professional who has always put her professional life before her personal life, but these days her biological clock is ticking louder than ever before. As with everything else she has accomplished in life, Kate is determined to have a child on her own terms.

My Review: This film is great but some of the humor is very mature. Obviously, with a film about child birth it is kind of expected. There were times when I was laughing I could barely breathe during this film. Amy Poehler and Tina Fey do a great job together in this film and Amy plays here part perfectly as the surrogate mother who is irresponsible. She made the part very believable. Also, I really enjoyed the doorman - Romany Malco. Probably some of the funniest scenes come in the pregnancy class where the two are together and this crazy teacher is teaching them. Finally, by the end, you realize what a blessing it is to actually have kids and be able to watch them.

Recommend: For sure, but probably for an older audience age. I have never had kids, so I am sure there are themes here that I missed or didn't understand, but it was a fun movie. One other thing is that you should definitely watch the deleted scenes. There is one scene about breastfeeding in there that I about died watching. However, there is one deleted scene when Tina Fey is talking to her sister and there is some harsh language that you probably want to skip. Enjoy the film.

10/11/2008

Made of Honor

Posted by JTENMAN



Release Date: May 2, 2008
Time: 1 hr 41 min.
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Rating: PG-13
My Rating: PG-13
Starring: Patrick Dempsey, Michelle Monaghan, Kevin McKidd
Grade: B

Synopsis: For Tom (Patrick Dempsey), life is good: he's sexy, successful, has great luck with the ladies… and knows he can always rely on Hannah (Michelle Monaghan), his down-to-earth, charming best friend and the one constant in his life. It's the perfect setup until Hannah goes overseas to Scotland on a six-week business trip… and Tom is stunned to realize how empty his life is without her. He resolves that when she gets back, he'll ask Hannah to marry him -- but is floored when he finds that she has become engaged to a handsome and wealthy Scotsman and plans to move overseas. When Hannah asks Tom -- the one person she feels closest to -- to be her “"maid"” of honor, he reluctantly agrees to fill the role,… but only so he can attempt to woo Hannah and stop the wedding before it's too late.

My Review: This is another chick flick that has been made a hundred times before. Standard story line of a guy and a girl trying to get together, but for one reason or another they can't. So you may be wondering why I gave it a B then. Probably the main reason is because I still enjoy films like this even though they have been done before. Patrick Dempsey does a good job. One of the other characters that I liked was his black friend who was one of the only people to have a lot of sense - and good morals for that matter.

Recommend: Sure, if you are in the mood for a chic flick, then this should fill your need. It has humor and it's "cute" moments. You will lose the kids fast though, so leave this one for you and someone special to watch together.

10/05/2008

The Forbidden Kingdom

Posted by JTENMAN



Release Date: April 18, 2008
Time: 1 hr. 53 min.
Distributor: Lionsgate
Rating: PG-13
My Rating: PG
Starring: Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Liu Yifei, Michael Angarano
Grade: B+

Synopsis: Legendary martial arts stars Jackie Chan and Jet Li come together onscreen for the first time ever in director Rob Minkoff's time-traveling take on the Monkey King fable that finds an American teen transported back to ancient China after wandering into a pawn shop and discovering the king's fighting stick. Once there, the adventurous teen joins an army of fierce warriors who have sworn to free their imprisoned king at all costs. In addition to appearing as the mythical Monkey King, Li assumes the role of a silent monk, and Chan appears in the role of kung fu master Lu Yan. Famed action choreographer Yuen Woo Ping presides over the fight sequences. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

My Review: You have two of the most famous fighters from American films in Jackie Chan and Jet Li in this film together. This film has a lot of great martial arts scenes, and it is quite entertaining to watch when Chan and Li fight. I was wondering who would really win...Jackie Chan is his normal humorous self as well which brings a nice touch to the film. The only reason I didn't give this film a higher grade is because the storyline was a little cheesy, and the monkey guy really bothered me. Other then that, the film was quite interesting.

Recommend: This is a great film for a date night if you are getting tired of those chic-flicks. This is enjoyable to watch and the fight sequences are exhilarating. The kids would probably enjoy this one as well.